Exploring the UK

Yorkshire

Yorkshire is largest of the historic counties of England, so large that it was divided into three thridings or ridings and is home to a wide variety of countryside. It used to be popularly said that “there are more acres in Yorkshire than words in the Bible” and it was true. Yorkshire has undergone some changes since it originally comprised the West, North and East Ridings; all abolished in the boundary changes that took place in 1974. The county is now divided into West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire. The county town is still regarded as York, which with its magnificent Minster and ancient walls is a magnet for tourists from all over the world.

South and West Yorkshire is a diverse area with its industrial past running through the Aire valley with Leeds at its heart. The city is a vibrant centre with excellent shopping facilities and car free areas. The rejuvenated canal area has become an upmarket residential area with food and drink facilities to be envied. Travelling west, Wharfedale opens up some of the finest countryside in England. Rolling hills, valleys and dales, it is here that hundreds of miles of some of the finest walking country are experienced. There are market towns and waterways where boating holidays have become increasingly popular. The area is celebrated for textiles, take time to see the magnificent Victorian architecture of places such as Huddersfield and Halifax. Bronte country at Haworth and last of the summer wine of TV fame at Holmfirth is unspoilt and nestles around the Pennines

North Yorkshire has less industrial heritage than the former West Riding and is more orientated to farming although heavy industry still exists around Middlesbrough. This part of Yorkshire has the Cathedral City of Ripon at its heart and the whole of the North Yorkshire area has been one of the North of England’s most visited tourist areas which itself has given rise to a wide variety of accommodation from farmhouse B&B’s to top class hotels. The area is crisscrossed with stone walls, sparkling villages’ ancient fortresses, and limestone peaks. The coastal region of North Yorkshire is home to resorts such as Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay, Scarborough and Filey all accessed through magnificent heather clad rolling moors of the North York Moors National Park, explore this on foot, bicycle or the steam railway from Pickering to Grosmont.

East Yorkshire has tranquil Wolds which run from York through to the Vale of Pickering in the north of the county offering rolling hills, historic houses like Howard Castle, Georgian Beverley, and the “capital” Driffield. The East Coast’s highest cliffs at Flamborough Head are close to some seabird sanctuaries with some of the best beaches here for miles around. Spurn Point is another wildlife area at the Humber estuary and further down the river lays the port of Hull, the gateway to Europe, home to maritime museums and the Wilberforce museum in the old part of the town.

Yorkshire is a truly diverse region and has something to interest every one of all ages, it is just waiting for you to visit for a few weekend trips, or even longer, you will be welcomed.